


Forgiveness

by DilynAliceBlake



Series: Friendship Take(s) Two [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Highschool AU, M/M, Modern AU, Reincarnation, do you want to fight about what a sap i am because i'll fight you, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 14:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7226368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DilynAliceBlake/pseuds/DilynAliceBlake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander remembers his past life, and makes a pivotal decision Aaron has been dreading coming to fruit.</p><p>Basically Aaron has remembered the whole time they've known each other, but Alexander bulldozed his way into a friendship even around Aaron's impressive guilt.</p><p>Unfortunately, Alexander hasn't yet been able to strong arm his way into something more, not understanding the distance Aaron struggles to keep between them.</p><p>Until, ya know, suddenly he is remembering, too, and then it's time for things to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgiveness

“What is it Xander?  You’re shaking.  Are you alright?  I thought you didn’t get stage fright?”

Aaron’s voice is gentle and worried, and he is right in his words and that worry.  Alexander _doesn’t_ get stage fright.  Has never before in his _life_ (either life) had a problem speaking to a crowd, spelling out his opinions for hundreds to pass judgement on.  His shaking has nothing to do with the debate.

“Aaron,” he says, and hates how his voice quakes.  He wraps him tightly in a hug, breathes deeply, splutters and hiccups and sobs between his refrain of “ _I love you I love you I love you_.”

Aaron pats his back awkwardly.  Alexander can’t see the look on his face, but knows it’s pained.  Aaron always looks pained when Alexander expresses how he feels about him.

Before they had first become friends, Alexander had thought that Aaron’s cool distance was because he looked down on him for his scholarship, since Aaron came from money.

Aaron had assured Alex that that wasn’t it; wasn’t why he never spoke longer to him in class than necessary or wouldn’t look him quite in the eye when he was wearing glasses.  Alexander had confronted him about it, demanded that if he hated him to just be open about it, and been quite pissy about the fact that not everyone could afford contacts or eye surgery.

He had been shocked by Aaron’s confused “I don’t hate you,” and only settled once he had agreed they could be friends.

Aaron never liked it very much when Alexander called him his best friend.  “You could do better,” Aaron always insisted, or, oddly, “I’m no good for you.”

The first time Xander had said “I’m in love with you, Aaron Byurn,” it had been after an angry kiss, and had been immediately followed by Aaron’s suggestion that he date John, if he were looking, or Angie, or Ellie, or Maria, or...

So Alexander’s solution had been to refuse to look.

“You or no one, Aaron.  I don’t love John, I love _you._ ”

They argued about that a lot, until they finally stopped talking about it.  Their interactions were kept very firmly friendly, and Aaron looked guilty at every smile, every shared meal and study binge.

“I’m not what you need, Xander.”  For _years_ that was the refrain.

Only it wasn’t true, it wasn’t true at all; not even now that the memories were rushing back to him in a blur, not even now that he could feel a phantom gunshot wound between two of his ribs where his birthmark was, and hear Aaron faintly yelling “ _Wait!_ ” in a voice much older than the one he’s used to.

Alexander gives a teary smile, can’t stop beaming up at Aaron, because if this is all that’s been keeping them apart then he can talk some sense into him and finally get his happily ever after.

“I’m okay.  Just, wait right here, okay?  Wait one second.”

And he runs up to the judges, declares unapologetically, remorselessly that he forfeits, and Aaron is looking at him like he’s lost it.

“Xander it’s the state finals!  You’ve been preparing for this for weeks, you can’t just throw this away-”

Alexander Hampton shuts him up with a kiss.

For a split second Aaron is kissing back, before suddenly he’s pushing away.  That’s alright, because it’s enough to feed Alexander’s hope.

“Xander, you said you wouldn’t do that again.  That you wouldn’t… I can’t keep hanging out with you if-”

“I forgive you,” Alexander’s muffled declaration comes from buried into Aaron’s collarbone.

Aaron’s eyebrow’s crease adorably, and Alexander wants to smooth them, but doesn’t dare release his grip around the taller boy’s middle.

“Forgive me?  That doesn’t make any sense, what are you-”

“ ** _Burr_** _, I forgive you._ ”

And then, after a moment frozen, it’s Aaron who is panicking, struggling to escape Xander’s grip, looking more terrified than Alex has ever seen him.

Alexander rubs Aaron’s back soothingly until he’s calmed to quaking breaths, though fear and confusion are obviously still at the helm of his thoughts.

“ _Alexander?_ ” he asks, cracking and barely voiced, and still so very scared.  Suddenly it’s clear why he’s never before used his full name to address him, because if Alex had heard his name in that voice, in that tone, then surely he would have remembered sooner.

He nods, still smiling.  “The one and only.”

Aaron swallows hard, and it’s clear that whatever he’s about to say, he doesn’t want to.

“You don’t have to pretend you still like me.”

Alexander needs to get it through his (boy)friend’s thick skull that this is what he wants, no matter their past.

With a snuggle and a tug on the front of Aaron’s shirt, he mumbles “I’ve always liked it when you say my name like that _._ ”

Aaron is torn between groaning at how cheesy it is and laughing hysterically, because everything he’s been dreading is happening right now; and it’s not going at all like he planned.

“Oh, _god, **Alexander**_ , you have no clue how much I’ve wanted, how much I want…”

He’s still so obviously torn, so Alexander takes a step back.

“You know I love you, right?”

That gets a choked sob in reply.

“You really didn’t think I still would?”

“ _I **shot you** , Alexander!_”

Alex shrugs.

“I might’ve kind of deserved it.”

“You most certainly did _not!_ ”

“Well then at least we know you won’t do it again.”

“This is not a _joke!_ ”

“No, but if you think I’m going to let you throw this away because of something that happened _hundreds of years ago_ then you’re an idiot.  Your inaction isn’t protecting me, it’s just been making me miserable.  So if you could _please_ kiss me back now?”

“…Are you sure?”

“I’m taking your last name.”

“Did you just _propose_?!”

“Well, I blew off state finals, I had to salvage the day somehow.”

Aaron looks to the sky for patience.  Then he remembers the scholarship that was riding on this competition and groans.

“ _Alexander!_ ”

Alex melts a little more inside.

“God, I didn’t even know how much I missed that until today.  You’re never allowed to call me Xander again.  I’ve told you like fifty times that I hate how fucking juvenile it sounds, and-“

Aaron (finally) kisses him, and it (thankfully) shuts him up.


End file.
